OSCE Office in Baku supports conference on reforms to Azerbaijani Bar System

BAKU, 25 June 2004 - The implementation of newly adopted amendments to the Law on Advocates and ways of ensuring that judicial reforms bring sustainable results were the focus of a conference supported by the OSCE Office in Baku.

The two-day event, which ended today, also discussed the impact of the amendments on the principles of regulation of the legal profession and on the working environment of lawyers in Azerbaijan.

Robin Seaword, Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Baku, noted that building public confidence in the country's judicial system was one of the reasons for his Office's involvement in Azerbaijani judicial process.

"The need for an efficient law is unquestionable for the development of a transparent, impartial and fair legal system which reflects the needs of the country. The law is in place and now the time is right for concerted and co-ordinated effort to find a route to implement it for the benefit of all," he said.

Caryn McClelland, the Head of the Political Section of the US Embassy in Azerbaijan, stressed the importance of an independent, competent, and transparent Bar system: "Neither independence nor competence is fully achieved by the single act of passing a law. Laws which guarantee real independence of lawyers and empower them to be competent must be properly implemented to have any real meaning," she said.

Lynn Sferrazza, the Director of the American Bar Association/Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative (ABA/CEELI) she was glad the joint work brought concrete results. "We hope ideas voiced at the conference will contribute to the implementation of the Law on Advocates so the Azerbaijani Bar can open its doors and admit qualified new members."

Experts from Georgia, Poland and Russia presented a set of recommendations on practical aspects of the law such as the activities, internal regulations and disciplinary procedures of the College of Advocates, procedures for membership and the liability of lawyers to clients.

The conference brought together some 100 representatives of the legislative and execute bodies, as well as practising lawyers, judges, members of the Collegium of Advocates, representatives of international organizations, embassies, experts and non-governmental organizations.

The conference was organized by the ABA/CEELI, the OSCE Office in Baku, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the US Embassy in Azerbaijan.